none of them is large. Point Pelee is the most prominent shore feature. It 

 is a peninsula which projects southward into the lake for many miles. The 

 base is broad, but it tapers gradually and ends in a sand bar which is curved 

 toward the east. 



There are five islands in the lake with an area exceeding one square mile 

 (2.59 square kilometers), f'else Island, the largest has an area of l6.3 

 square miles (Ii2.2 squart kilometers), and lies entirely in Canadian waters 

 south and west of Point Pelee (Fig. h) . Kelleys Island, the second largest, 

 lies south of Pelee Island, and has an area of h.h square miles (n.Ii. square 

 kilometers). The remaining three make up the group known as the Bass Islands; 

 North, Middle, an i South Bass. They lie in a north and south line some miles 

 west of Pelee and Kelleys; and South Bass lies 3 miles (h.8 kilometers) north 

 of the mainland at Catawba Island. North Bass has an area of 1.1 square miles 

 (2.8 square kilometers); Middle Bass an area of 1.2 so.uare miles (3.1 square 

 kilometers); -and South Bass 2.h square miles (6.2 square kilometers). South 

 Bass Island is commonly called ?ut-in-3ay from the harbor and village on the 

 north side. At the entrance to the harbor lies Gibraltar Island, vidiich is 

 only a few acres in extent. Other small islands near this group are Ballast, 

 Starve, Green, Rattlesnake, Sugar, Hen, Big Chicken, and Little Chicken. 

 Middle Island is situated between Pelee and Kelleys, and another of small size 

 is Mouse Island, just off Scott Point on Catawba Island. The Sister group is 

 composed of four small islands. West, Middle, and East Sister, and North Har- 

 bor Island (See naps. Fig. 3 and U) . The geologic features of some of the 

 islands and parts of the south shore have been discussed by Newberry (I87I4) • 



In general, the slope of the bottom in Western Lake Erie is very gentle. 

 This is particularly true along the r_-outh and west shores, where the 21 foot 

 (6.U meter) contour line is, in places, 5-7 miles (8-11 kilometers) from the 

 beach. On the north shore the slopes are less gentle and the 21 foot contour 

 is usually mthin one mile of the beach. Most of the islands have consider- 

 able areas of shallow water about them. In addition there are a number of 

 reefs and shoals. The most conspicuous of these are Niagara Reef, Chicken- 

 olee Reef, Kelleys Island Shoal, Kelleys Island South Shoal, Liull Island 

 Shoal, Middle Ground, ani Southeast Shoal. (See Fig. 3 and Fig. k) . It is 

 the presence of the islands and shoal areas betv/een Point Pelee and Ottawa 

 Peninsula which forms a partial barrier to the movement of water between 

 Western Lake Erie and the rest of the lake. 



Insofar as it is possible to speak of a depression in the basin, it is 

 placed asymmetrically toward the north, as indicated by the 33 foot (10.1 

 meters) contour line on the map. Within this line there is a small area 

 north of Pelee Island with a depth of 36 feet (11.0 meters), which connects 

 with deeper areas to the east by means of a trough between Middle Ground and 

 Southeast Shoal. A small area of relatively deep water is found between the 

 Bass Islands and Pelee Island., It appears as a trough which extends west- 

 ward between Gull Island Shoal and Kelleys Island Shoal, and then turns north- 

 ward. Much of this trough is Ii2 feet (12.8 meters) deep, and there is a small 

 hole, south of Gull Island Shoal, which has a depth of $h feet (l6.5 meters) . 

 The mean depth of Western Lake Erie exclusive of Sandusky 3ay is 2ij.6 feet 

 (7.5 meters) . 



31 



